


Penance

by GlitterDwarf



Series: Post-Episode Fluff Medicine [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 9x06, M/M, heaven can't wait
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-16
Updated: 2013-11-16
Packaged: 2018-01-01 16:59:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1046292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterDwarf/pseuds/GlitterDwarf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The separation is a punishment, so he'll protect and care for Cas while he can. My take on what happened between the babysitting and the morning in 9.06 "Heaven Can't Wait."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Penance

It only took a few minutes after Dean was done wrapping up the wounded hand for Cas to crash. Dean had watched as his friend’s eyelashes fluttered throughout the car ride, as he was greedily stuffing fries into his mouth (did he even get to eat regularly?) and, finally, as he sat on the bed and let Dean disinfect, clean and wrap up his hand and arm. 

(“Talk about Dr. Sexy, huh?” Dean had said, a half-murmur with a smile. Cas had chuckled and swayed, so Dean very slowly had switched their positions so that they were sitting next to each other. He then put one arm around Cas and pulled him closer so that his head could rest on Dean’s shoulder. If Dean focused now, he could stil feel the weight of it and smell the bathroom-soap in his hair.)

Still awake, Dean cleaned up the hotel room. He threw away the used medical supply wrappers and trash from their quick dinner, then hung Cas’ work vest in the small motel closet. He moved to Cas’ bed (“two beds, please,” Dean had asked the clerk, despite the clenching in his own chest) and slowly, gently maneuvered Cas out of his pants. Dean folded them and placed them at the end of the bed, then gently pulled the covers over his sleeping friend.

Cas murmured in his sleep. It distressed Dean to see that there were still worry lines on Cas’ face as he slept. Clearly, his dreams were not restful, and probably wouldn’t be for awhile. He swept his fingers across the hair on Cas’ forehead, easing his friend’s worried face just a little. 

Eventually he ended up in his own bed, with the lights in the room turned off but his bedside lamp still turned on. He couldn’t miss one minute of this, couldn’t take his eyes away. This couldn’t be wasted. As much as he wanted to bring Cas home—because it  _is_  home, to both of them—he couldn’t risk it. It wasn’t just a risk to Sammy, it was a risk to Cas, and he knew this was the only way. _  
_

Better for Cas to be struggling as a human than a dead corpse, again, but this time for forever.

Better for Dean. Cas risked his life repeatedly out of penance for what he had done in Heaven. Dean pulled away from Cas out of penance for what he had done to his friend. If Dean learned anything, it was that he couldn’t really protect the only people who ever mattered. Everybody ended up hurt or dead. 

This was it. This was his penance.

So, Dean stayed awake and watched. He could skip out on his four hours. He could watch over Cas.


End file.
